* No unplanned shutdowns so far in 2016-sources
* Average 2016 output up 6 pct from 2015-sources
* Field plays role in pricing global oil exports
By Alex Lawler
LONDON, June 9 (Reuters) - Britain's North Sea Buzzard
oilfield, which helps price global crude exports and in the past
was beset by unplanned outages, has had a smooth year, industry
sources said, boosting supply of crude that underpins the Brent
benchmark.
Unplanned shutdowns at the British field can boost Brent
prices and lead to higher premiums of Brent futures for
immediate delivery LCOc1-LCOc2 - leading to price volatility.
Buzzard is operated by Nexen, a unit of Chinese state
company CNOOC. Other field partners are Suncor Energy Inc
SU.TO and Royal Dutch Shell RDSa.L following its purchase of
BG Group.
Last year, Buzzard's production averaged 163,000 barrels per
day (bpd) according to UK government data. So far this year, the
average has risen to about 173,000 bpd, even though output has
slowed in June because of a Forties pipeline flow restriction,
sources said.
"There hasn't been a zero production day this year," said
one of the sources who declined to be identified. "It's been
quite a success story."
The lack of outages shows that efforts by the field operator
to improve reliability are working. Nexen in 2014 detailed a
number of steps it had taken in order to achieve this, and CNOOC
said it was expecting to boost supplies from its UK assets.
Buzzard pumps less than 0.2 percent of daily world oil
supply but it is the largest field contributing to Forties
blend, the most important of the four North Sea crude grades
underpinning the Brent benchmark.
At the centre of the benchmark used to price two thirds of
the world's oil, it has a bigger impact on pricing than its size
would otherwise justify.
More reliable output at Buzzard is helping lead to more
stable exports of Forties crude blend. In previous years cargoes
often faced delays in their loading dates.
In 2015, Reuters reported only two unplanned shutdowns or
production glitches at Buzzard. In 2014 when there were at least
six.
A planned shutdown in September 2016 at Buzzard will weigh
on full-year average output. The maintenance is set to last more
than 30 days, trade sources said.
Nexen declined to comment on Buzzard's performance on
Thursday.
(Editing by William Hardy)